Category: Grief

Joe DeCree and I are talking about Memorial Day -- how he handles it and insight on how to move through this sacred time. Joe: Memorial Day: Is there a worse day on the calendar? Gosh, I feel like I want to go to bed all day and hide. Unfortunately, it is inevitable. It comes … Continue reading Combat Vets: How to Get Through Memorial Day

The rain drips off the peak of my cap; Speckles my vision. The marching band plays in G Major, but I hear only minor chords. Old Glory passes by and I make the automatic, but heartfelt, salute. I attend the ball games and barbeques But I am not really there. I want to leave so … Continue reading Memorial Day

The part of you they take with them, that hollowed out spot in your chest, that sting and numbness and dazed acceptance -- it’s still there, still fresh, still real. It is never not a part of you...ever again. We are changed by each death. Even though life is given again in the next lifetime, … Continue reading This Memorial Day…

It's that heaviness deep in your chest. That gaping void where part of who you were before is permanently gone. It's the sense of having done things that can never be undone, a burden of being responsible for having taken life and for having lost it. A burden you know is yours to carry. It's … Continue reading When You Feel As If You Don’t Belong

One of my Soldiers learned today that he lost a soldier to suicide. One of my Marines attended the funeral this week of a brother who went Home early. I'm sure there are many more of you who are dealing with this kind of loss right now. And many of you who are contemplating killing … Continue reading Suicide: Stop Believing the Lie That No One Cares

Okay, so the words themselves mean the same thing in your mind. Fucked up. Pain. Shit. Issues. Doesn't matter what you call it, right? Who cares? What if how you think of it is keeping you stuck? No, I'm not being "a writer" here and picking on words. On the surface, it doesn't matter how you refer to the … Continue reading Combat PTSD: F***ed Up or Wounded?

You come home from combat angry. Stupid shit sets you off. You lash out at people you care about only to see pain and fear flash through their confused eyes. Sometimes you start fights on purpose. Usually, you just react. A stupid driver makes you snap, before you know it you're in a blind rage. In … Continue reading I Came Back from Combat, Why the #@!% Am I So Angry!?!?

This is the kind of post that takes a shot of whiskey to write. Only, alcohol gives me migraines, so fuck that. We're gonna talk about something that many of you live with and most of you will never be able to find words for... and that's having witnessed or caused the death of children … Continue reading When Children are the Victims of War

It lines your inside, this presence you've become so familiar with that you're not sure where you end and it begins. It's just... there. Always there. Images. Scents. Sounds. Fear. Memories. Pain. You try to shut it out. It returns. You lock it up inside. It gets out. It wants you to stare into its deceiving eyes. And when you … Continue reading What to Do When You Just Can’t Talk About It

This is a hard post to write. Not because the subject matter is painful, (I'll stare into the darkest pain with you), but because it is so personal to my daily life. Someone asked me why I let the events in Iraq bother me. I'll tell you why. Every day I interact with guys who … Continue reading Why the Fall of Iraq Bothers Me

First off, let me tell you this: forgiveness is a human issue. Not just a God one. There is ample discussion of forgiveness in religion and many sources to find those discussions. Instead of diving into theological viewpoints, I'm going to bring it all down to one fact: We are all of One Source. One … Continue reading Combat Veterans Ask: Can I Be Forgiven?

The public hears about Fallujah falling back into terrorists' hands and it's a blip on their stream of distraction. They don't give a shit. You hear it and it puts into question the reason why you continue to pay a high price for Iraq 24 hours a day. Why your life is what it is … Continue reading On Fallujah’s Fall: Was it Worth It?

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Suicidal?

If you are suicidal, I will do my best to help you, but I am NOT a crisis counselor. If you are in immediate danger of killing yourself, please call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Suicide is NOT the right decision. Don’t do it. Reach out. There is hope for you.

Your Life After War

You've come home. You may have PTSD, you may not. Everyone expects you to get on with your life. Pick up the pieces. Forget about it.

It's not that easy, is it?

If you're like most vets, life after war isn't what you'd thought it'd be. You've got a lot of questions, anger, sadness, disappointment, or you may not know what you're feeling. You might even feel just fine.

And yet...the war won't just go away.

How do you move forward?

How can friends and loved ones better understand you?

Where do you even begin?

Let's find out together....

You’re Here for a Reason

If you’ve found this site, there’s a reason. You’re searching, you’re wondering, maybe you just need someone to tell you what you’re going through is normal – and that there’s hope for you.

Maybe you just need someone to listen without worrying that they’ll judge you. All of the work I do with vets is strictly on a volunteer basis – and I am not associated with any government or mental health organizations.

So reach out. It’s time you stopped walking this path alone. Contact me at brittareque@gmail.com, message me here on this site or via Facebook Messenger (scroll down for a link).

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All content on this site, advice, and personal recommendations are not intended to replace medical or mental health treatment or counsel. I am not a licensed therapist. Please consult medical professionals for diagnosis and treatment.

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This site uses cookies. I respect your privacy and do not share confidential information. Comments are held for personal review by me and will not be published if I feel they should remain private. Note that any public comment you make may be made public on this site. To contact me confidentially, email me at brittareque@gmail.com.